Disclaimer: I do not own YuYu Hakusho.

I decided to get off my lazy ... and update. As always, potential for OOC.

Hiei's research notes are in bold italic. His notebook also seems to double as an informal journal...

:3

This chapter will begin with various notes. The rest of it will switch from Hiei's to Botan's POV.

Emotional Distress

by bittersweet-memory

Taken from the ultra-secret notebook...

Day Two

Females seem to consume more when they are pregnant. Mood swings are beginning. Almost as bad as the detective's woman. She went from bubbly to ...bitchy (for lack of a better term) in the span of an eye-blink.

Day Three

Detective almost caught me today. Invited me on another idiotic human outing. Almost said no but thought about Yukina not to mention the project. Feigned indifference. Don't want him to clue in on the real reason I haven't returned to Mukuro yet.

What the hell am I writing?

He's too dense to realize anything that complex.

She's been giving my tree strange looks lately.

Fates forbid she's appraising it as a future home for that brat...

Day Five


Subject goes through moods the way the idiot goes through kitten chow.

Those lights were really starting to piss me off. Artificial illumination always hurts my eyes.

"Look Hiei! That rollercoaster sure looks fun! Let's try it out!"

Her incessant giggles were starting to irk me. I tried for the tenth time that day to wrench my cloak away from her prying fingers. She hadn't let go of me since the damned minute we'd arrived at this demon-torture. I looked over at the fox. Idiot. He seemed to be having fun talking with his woman.

"I'm not going to say it again. Let go."

There. I had said it.

"You jerk! All I want to do is make sure you have fun!"

She lifted her hand and prepared to slap me.

As if she really could.

I caught it mid swing and squeezed her wrist. The detective and Kurama might put up with abuse but I sure as hell wouldn't and definitely not with someone I hadn't even claimed.

"Think twice before lifting that hand again. Next time, you might find yourself with one less finger."

I dropped it and walked ahead.



I watched as he wove his way through thecrowd, clearly intenton getting as far away from me ashe could.

I just wanted him to loosen up a little...

A hand on my shoulder pulled my attention behind me. I looked up to see Kurama's green eyes.

"Having fun Botan? We did go out for you after all."

I forced one of my trademark smiles onto my face though even I could tell that it lacked its regular genuine sparkle.

"Yes! I'm having a great time!"

I waited 'til he had gone ahead with Shizuru before turning a completely different direction. Yusuke and Keiko were at the food stands satisfying one of her infamous cravings for something sweet. Kuwabara was busy trying to win Yukina the stuffed animal she had fallen in love with at the baseball toss. Kurama and Shizuru were enjoying a rare chaos-free moment at the Ferris wheel.

Hiei was probably off terrorizing small children.

Typical.

I walked along the wet sand, relishing the feel of the waves near my feet. It was so peaceful now. And as I had taken to doing lately, I started to think about the little one growing inside me.

I went with Keiko on one of her appointments. Her OB-GYN asked me if I would like to know "what" I was going to have. At first I was hesitant. I mean, I was going to love it no matter what it was. But the curious part of me rebelled and I gave in.

In 27 weeks, I'm going to have a little boy named Himura.

I sat down on the gritty sand and hugged my knees to my chest. My outer calm completely contradicted the turmoil inside of me.

How was I going to keep this a secret?

Where would I go from here?

What was I going to do?

I blinked the tears away, as unbidden, the thought of his father floated in my minds-eye. No matter what, I would find a way to make it work. I would be happy again.

She looks so alone.

That was my initial thought as I finally spotted her. My second thought was how much of an idiot she was to have been sitting in the dark where any damned demon looking for revenge against the "famed" Spirit Detectives could find her. We'd split up into groups to find her. And I find her here on the beach. Completely oblivious to absolutely everything.

If I was an enemy, she'd be dead.

I continued to watch her. She must have been thinking about him again. Her eyes had that wistful look every time she did.

I couldn't help seeing the resemblance between her and my mother. Both alone, abandoned by the father of their children. If the toddler had known, I'm almost positive that he would react the same way my mother's village reacted to her pregnancy.

Or maybe not.

Shaking my head to dispel any other "misty-water nostalgia", I decided to let her know I was here.

"Let's go."

Her eyes widened, and then searched the darkness before finally settling on my billowing cloak.

"Oh hello Hiei..."

Her voice was soft. She was no doubt still caught up in her own thoughts.

"The others are waiting for you. We would have been gone by now if it hadn't been for your idiotic habit of wandering off. What's the matter? Can't even keep track of your surroundings anymore? Do you need someone to help you with that as well?"

I half expected her to try and slap me again.

But she didn't.

She just gave me a look that seemed out of place on her young face and walked past me. She was shivering. Idiot girl. Couldn't even enough to bring a sweater along. I shook off my own and offered it to her with a grunt.

She didn't take it.

For some reason, his barbed comments bothered me more than usual. Actually, his entire attitude seemed to bother me lately and I couldn't even begin to explain why. After all, it probably wasn't any different then what he had said to me in the past but they seemed to drive in deep today.

I'm blaming it all on my damned hormones.

For the nth time this week, I wonder why he's still here. I mean, Hiei isn't really the human-loving type and even back when we were facing the end of the world (courtesy of Sensui...) and he was still on probation, he'd said that if there were a way out of this "vile world" he would have taken it.

It's probably because of Yukina.

I was jerked out of my thoughts when Yusuke announced that we were back.

Funny how I don't even remember getting into the car.

Day 6

She's been crying again.

How weak.

I suppose this comes as further proof that love does nothing but make you act like an imbecile. Or in her case, more imbecilic than usual.

It'll never happen to me.

I couldn't sleep again. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. In my dreams I saw him with her. I wonder what she has that I don't. What in the world was so special about her that she made him forget everything we'd shared in two damned years?

What was I saying?

I was happy for them. I was happy for her. I was happy if he was happy.

Somehow my mantra didn't have the same calming effect it used to.

I got up to get a warm glass of milk.

And maybe a cookie.

Imagine my surprise when I found that my customary kitchen stool already had an occupant.

"What's up Keiko? Couldn't get to sleep?"

She looked at me with her warm brown eyes. Right now she was happy, but at the slightest provocation she turned psycho.

Shudder.

Keiko sure is a scary pregnant lady.

"No. Yusuke's darned snoring kept me up again."

She suddenly got an evil smirk on her face.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow's breakfast won't be as easy to swallow as It usually is. He'll pay..."

Like I said, scary.

"So what's kept you up?"

I shrugged and fiddled with the hem of my night shirt. I couldn't help thinking that pretty soon it wouldn't fit and I would have to ask Keiko to come shopping with me.

"The usual."

Her eyes softened at the wistful tone in my voice and I was pretty sure I didn't have to tell her what I was sighing about. She's told me before that I use the same tone she did when Yusuke was in the Makai.

So did that mean I was still in love with Koenma?

"Listen Botan. You'll make it through this. We're all right behind you."

"I know... and thank you. For everything you've done for me."

"What are friends for?"

I grabbed her into an awkward hug, her protruding stomach making it impossible for us to "bear-hug".

A sudden cooing sound lilted down the stairs and into the open kitchen. I couldn't help it. I started to giggle.

"Is that Yusuke?"

She shook her head ruefully.

"Yep. Let's see...he's not crying so that rules out the evil riceball dream. This must be Dr. Happypants."

"...Should I even ask?"

Thanks to everyone who put this story on their favorites!

Actually...thanks to everyone who's reading!

Review Responses:

tuathatfaeriehere's the update! A little more of my horrible attempt at humor -.- Hopefully you'll forgive me... There was a touch of HBness but not nearly as much as I'd like. If I had my way, I'd have them mating like bunnies. But that would be out of character. Darn! :3 I hope you like!

Robin Autumn: I'm glad you found it funny! I was kind of worried that Botan's behavior didn't fit. But I've heard that the mood swings start at around two months. So RUN FAR AWAY! Just kidding! I'm glad your sister hasn't gotten "crazy" though. Yes indeed update! (prodprod)

Yohko no Gothika: First I have to tell you how lurvely your name is! x) Thanks so much for your compliment! I'll be sure to check out your story! I'm sorry I didn't give you a plushie! (pat pat) Here you go! (hands plushie)

BlazingBotan Here's the update! Hope you like it!

Ariyana I'm glad you liked that part. (whispers) That was the most difficult to write...I hope you liked this chapter!

hiei/botan4everThanks for the compliment! I hope you liked this story!

Crystal-Koneko: No action here either....(kicks a rock guiltily) Sorry! I hope you liked this chapter though!

LivingImpared Your name is cooooool....(feels bad) mines all sentimental...I'm glad you liked my story.